Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-12-27
Shakespeare, who inskes Hotspur say 70
his wife in /. Henry Nv.
"Constant you are,
But yet woman; aud for secrecy

vcrO, "A woman cOnceaiS Wllht sue uOcs
not know" Similarly the Spanish are
wont TO say, "Toa woman and msgpie
tell what you would speak in the market
place" But this il must be admitted,
is an unfair reproach, woman being as
capable of keeping a secret as one OF her
opposite sex. Indeed, as Mr.. Kelly re-
marks in his little book on proverbs, 60 If
there be truth in proverbs men have no
right TO reproach women for blabbing.
A woman can at least keep her own Sc
cret. Try her on the subject of her age"
The industry of woman has long ago been
proyerbisl, as in the couplet;
THE woman that's honest, hcr chiefcst delight
is stil 10 be doing from morning I'LL night"
With which we may compare the COM
mon maxim, "A woman's work is never
at an end" On the other hand, 1t was
formerly said OF the woman who, after
being busy, industrious maid, became
an indolent wife, "She hath broken her
elbow at the church door" the ceremony
OF the church porch-where oftentimes
part of the marriage was performed
having disabled her for domestic duties.
Thus another adage affirmed how
"The wife that expects 10 have a good name
Is always az home. as II she were lame.n
According to our forefathers it did not
look well for q woman TO be always sight
seeing, as such was an indication that she
was not sufficiently dOmesticated and
was too fond of pleasure. Hence 1t was
usually said
"A women Oft seen, gown oft worn.
Are Questioned and held In scorn.'
Even at the present day, according to
well-known Yorkshire proverb, "a zOnk-
town "a gossip" is seldom a good
/ housewife at home" Many OF our old
proverbs speak OF the fickleness of
women, bu: surely this is libel on their
coustancy We have only 10 refer to
the pages of our own history in centu-
ries past to prove the falsity of this as
sertion. But the majority of old Eng
/ lish proverbs are to the same purpOrt
and a popular one reminds us that " A
woman's mind and winter change oft
and again
"The love Of n woman and a bottle Of wine
Are sweet for n season and last for time"
Francis l. of France, il may be rcmem-
bered, wrote one day with diamond on
the window of the Chateau of Cham
bord these words: "a woman changes
oft who trusts her is right soft" Ac-
cording TO Mr.. Jeaffreson, III his Brides
aud Bridals" a. 39D. "it was partly
due to ticlileness and besitancy that
women were prone to do the very thing
which, at the very moment of doing It,
thew declared they would never do.
Thus one adage tells us how "maids say
nav. and take-a kiss, ring, or an
offer of marriage" On the same prin-
ciplc, it has been commonly SAID, take
a wOman's first advice, and not her Sc
cond." The reason for this is that wO-
men are apt to surpass men in quickness
of intuition, having, to quote DIR.
Trencb's words, "WhGt Montaigne as
cribes 20 them in a remarkable word,
+ FESprU Prime SdUticr-tbe leOpard's
spring, which takes its prey, if it he to
take it at all, at the first bound
1 Among some of the many other pro
verbs relating to women is the familiar
/ one
"Thores no mischief in tho world done
But a woman is always one"
| This is somewhat severe judgment, and
one which must he received with all
caution. According TO another adage,
Women in mischief are wiser than
men. and it is said that womens jars
breed mems wars" The Germans have
/ the following variation of this problem
"Therc's no mischief done in the world
/ but there's woman or n priest ut the
/ bottom of it," An old adage which has
/ become a household saying. when a
/ slight amendment for the benefit of chill
dren. is this, "Maidtns must be seen
and not heard, a piece of proverblal
| philosophy, indeed, which finds but
| small recognition in these days of wO-
mems rights. Hence, the familiar say
ing that "Silence is the best orna-
ment of q woman" although true i'll the
abstract, is one which nowadays Is con-
sidered antiquated. And even as Mr..
Jcaiireson rightly remarks, when we
concede to woman the use Of her tongue,
proverbial philosophy insists, in harmony
with Shakspearian opinion, that she
should talk gently in accordance with
the wise precept, In the husband Wis
dom, III the wife gentleness, The
talking propensities OF women have been
embodied in the not very tiattering pro-
verb which tells us how "three women
and three geese make market" Turn
ing in the next place to the beauty OF
woman, there are numerous sayings.
Thus we are reminded that "the more
women look in their glasses the less they
look to their houses " 4; and, again, "a
fair woman and a slashed gown will
always find some nail III the way, the
meaning, of course, being that women
are apt to be negligent housewives 10
proportion as they value their personal
attractions. Then there is the popular
proverb which says that "Joan is as
good as my lady in the dark, for, as an
ancient Latin saying reminds us, Blem-
ishes are unseen by night" Whether
we agree with this statement or not, yet,
as Mr.. Kelly remarks, quoting the fol
lowing lines
shows stars and women In better light"
with which may be compared the French
hyperbole, by candlelight goat looks
a lady" Once more. while dark com
plexion betokened pride. and height III
dicated laziness, small women, writes
Jeaffreson, were remarkable for then
noisiness. and beauties for their lack o.
discretion. Hence, it is said
"Far end foolish, black and proud,
Long and lazy, little and loud"
, The same author further adds that ri
is something to the credit of the proverb
making cynics, who spoke thus bitterly
OF handsome women, that they retraineC
= from assailing the ugly ones. Striking
the women whom nature had provided
with armor and legends of defenders
/. they spared the less fortunate of thu
q fair sex" Lastly, there are many pro
+ verbs warning men of the danger of bao
4 women
= "A wicked woman aud an evil,
J. AT three-halfpence worse than the devil"
: Hence, numerous admonitions are giyeI
IA relating TO marriage, one of which tell
J. us that mans best fortune, or his worst
c is his wife, Similarly, Lord Burleigl
n says to his son, Use great prudenc,
:. and circumspection in choosing thy wife
for from thence will spring all thy futur,
good or evil and it is al action of lif'
like under a strategem of war, wherein
man can err but once" One,
c more, Sir John More, the ia
n 4. 4 -. r.Ai